Olive Oil Ministry
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Christ the King and 26 other congregations from eight denominations in the DMV sell olive oils, tapenades, za’atar, and artisanal soap produced in the West Bank.
In order to provide a more sustainable supply of products, in 2022, the Ministry formed a partnership with Playgrounds for Palestine (PfP), an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that donates all of its net income to build playgrounds for Palestinian communities in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.
Olives have been a staple of the Palestinian economy, diet, and culture for millennia. Because trees bear fruit for several hundred years, they are the ultimate long-term investment for Palestinian farming families. As many as 100,000 families depend to some extent on the olive harvest for their livelihoods. Most Palestinian farmers use traditional, organic methods to care for their olive trees.
The following products are available for purchase through CtK’s Olive Oil Ministry:
Canaan Fair Trade and Organic Rumi Olive Oil 500 ml. bottle $25 and Al-Ard Rumi 500 ml. bottle $25
This zesty organic olive oil comes from Rumi olive trees, which are indigenous to Palestine. Rumi refers to the historic fruit of these olive trees, enjoyed since the time of the Romans. The OOM's Al-Ard spicy Rumi has been very popular, but because of settler destruction of Palestinian olive groves in the West Bank, its price has risen.
Playgrounds for Palestine (PfP) Organic & Fair Trade Olive Oil --500 ml. bottle ($25)
This artisanal olive oil is produced by Al’Ard from organically grown olives harvested by hand on family farms in Palestine. The fair trade-certified oil is sold under the Playgrounds for Palestine (PfP) private label. PlP uses all proceeds to build playgrounds for Palestinian communities in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.
Al’Ard Extra Virgin & Organic Olive Oil (EVOO) $25 per 500 ml. bottle; $40 for 1 liter can
After Palestinian farmers harvest the olives by hand, they deliver them to a community press, where the organic-certified oil is extracted and tested for its quality. The oil then is delivered to Al’Ard, a commercial food products company in the West Bank, where it’s bottled, packaged, and shipped to customers.
​Two types of organic and fair trade tapenades -- Wild Caper & Nabali Olive and Sun Dried Tomato & Olive Oil
Re-sealable packages of Za’atar Spice Blend
Artisanal Olive Oil Soap
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If you are interested in any of these products, please use the order form below.
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How to Participate
Select your items and submit.
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Write a check for the total amount of your order payable to Christ the King Lutheran Church. Be sure to write “Olive Oil Ministry” on the memo line.
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Mail the check to Christ the King or leave your check in the offering plate. NOTE: We cannot fulfill your order until we receive your check!
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Witness and Outreach will collect olive oil products from the Palestinian Olive Oil Ministry headquarters in Bethesda and bring them to Christ the King, where they will be placed in bags or boxes marked with the name of each buyer, on a table in the foyer/narthex. Buyers will receive an email when the products are available for pick up.
